Improved process and apparatus for converting cast-iron into steel



animi eine ,tutti lUtilita?.

vALois rHoMA, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 96,633, (lated Novem-bn' 9, 1869.`

IMPRovED PROCESS AND APPARATUS Foa coNvERTING CAST-IRON NTO'STBEL.

The Schedule referred to in these' Letters Patent and making part of the same.

' l' lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference 'being hadto the accom` panying drawings, in Whichf Figure l represents a longitudinal "ertical section of my improved converting-furnace.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same,vtaken on the plane ofthe line x ai, fig. l,

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the saine, taken on the plane ofthe line y y, fig. 1.

lSimilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention has for its object the construction of a converting-furnace, which allows acontinuous operation, and in which, therefore, a much larger quantity of material-can be treated in a 'given time, than can he done in those furnaces which require removal of old contents before the new `can be put in;

Tlienvention relates to certain improvements on the converting-furnace, for which Letters Patent, No. 75,078, were granted to me on the dday of March, 1868.

The furnace has an upright tube, through which the material to bel'converted or oxidized is put in, and ir which the same is retained and heated preparatory to its entering the converting-chamber.

The process of converting or oxidizing will thereby be considerably hastened and facilitated.

The conversion of pig-iron into steel is produced by means of the burned gases created by the vcombustion of any kind of fuel, such as bituminous, anthracite, or -hrown coal, wood, peat, 0r charcoal, which gases -are mixed with water-gas, obtained as hereinafter specitied.

This compound is brought, in a highly-heated state,

in contact with the pig-iron which yis to be converted,

and raises the temperature of the same to from 1300O to 16500Y Fahrenheit, and at the same time converts it into steel.

This process is extremely cheap and convenient, and will operate with great rapidity.

The main part of the furnace is a 'vertical shaft, A, in the upper part of which. the converting-chamber On two opposite sides of the shaft are the replaces or gas-generators C C, which are adapted Ito any suitable kind of fuel, by altering the shape o'f their grates a.

On the grates a a is the fuel to be burned, it being B is arranged.

put o n by a feeding apparatus, D, which is'similar in construction to that described in a patent application for smelting-furnaces,made by me on or about the 24th day-of October, 1868.

From each furnace projects a narrow upright chau-v nel, b, which enters a horizontal chamber, c, that communicates, by means of a channel,- rl, with thecon- .verting-chamber B.

The two Uaseneratinff devices with their cham- D O I bers and channels b c d, are exactly alike, and thev description of one side will suffice for both.

The gases arising from the generators C have to be burned before they enter. the converting-chamber.

For this purpose, heatedI air is, through channels e e', conducted into, thev chambers c, and each of the" chambers c, is,by meansof a series of parallel vertical partitions ff, divided into a series ot channels, in

order to have more heating-surfaces.

The saidpartitions are made incandescent before the gases enter them.

lVhere the chambers c and 1l meet, is formed a channel-shaped depression or trough, y, into which, through 'a pipe, h, water is conducted, the flow of which is regulated by suitable stop-cocks.

The water will, as soon as it enters the heat-ed channel g, be converted into steam, and the steam will, by the extreme heat, be converted into water-gas.

This water-gas, which is no more steam, as it is too highly superheated, is easily decomposed, and. is a very powerful means for decarbonizing pigiron, for removing sulphur, arsenic, and other impurities, and in` combination with the burned gases, for converting pigfiron into steel.

The burned gases combine with the water-gas in the chamber al, and rise thence into a chamber, Ai, which is separated from the converting-chamber by means ofa perforated wall or partition, j, as shown. These partitions are braced by means of fire-brick k k, which serve also to detain the rising gases, and cause part of them to enter the lower part of the converting-chamber, through the lower aperture of j.

lThe inner faces of the partitions jare provided with pendent inverted steps, as shown, to prevent any material from entering the apertures, and from being retained therein.

The` outer side of the. chamber i is formed by a metal case, D', through which,in zigzag pipes c c, airby a swinging plate, l, which, when swnng down, discharges the contents of the chamber into the lower part of the shaft A.

Doors, o, are in the sides of the chamber B, to allow 'the inspection of the contents, and the taking out of contents. j

Above the chamber B is an upright chimney-shaped structure, E, whichvdoes, through an inclined channel,

m, vcommunicate with the chamber B, as in iig. 1.

The pigfiron to be converted is put intp the ,shaft E from above, and is, at the lower part ofthe inclined channel m, detained by iron barsthat Yare inserted through apertures u n.

Then the chamber B is to be supplied, the bars are removed, and the contents of the upper shaft drop down'. They would be apt to injure the swinging bottom Z by the fall, to prevent which, bars are placed above the bottom, previous to the charging. of the converting-chamber, said bars being inserted through openings p p. l

Theselatter bars are drawn out when the chamber' B is iilled, and let the weight down upon l.

When the chamber B is emptied by swinging-down the door l, and when Vthe said door is again closed, the pig-iron, which is, by the ascending gases, already prepared in the shaft E, is let down by removing the detaining-bars. v l l The descentof the iron on the inclined plane g of the channel m, can be facilitated by means oi a stirrer, inserted through a door, fr.

lhe shaft Eis refilled as soon as a charge of raw iron has been let down into the converting-chamber.

s s are openings, to allow the insertion of bars for` facilitating the descent of the pig-iron.

t t are apertures, to allow the inspection of the interior.

'The operation of this furnace is extremly simple, and can be carried on by 'every ordinary laborer.

The converting-chamber should be large enough to contain about thirteen thousand pounds pg-ironnvhieh is, in' about sixteen hours, converted into steel, after having previously been prepared in the shaft E.

As any suitable kind of fuel can be used with equal success in this furnace, and as an excellent quality of' steel is produced, this process and furnace will be proved preferable to all others now in use.

of metals and minerals, and for purifying the same.

I claim as new, and Patentl 1. The arrangement 'of the swinging plate between the converting-chamber B and adjacent part of shaft A, as and for Vthe purpose specified.

2. The combination of the generators C, heated-air channels e, water-chamber g, and channel b, with the mixing-channel d, whereby a combined gas is produced, by which the pig-iron may be converted into steel, asset forth, v

-3. The arrangement, inconverting-chamber B, of the protecting-bars 1i 1), to break the fall of metal, as it' slides from incline q, after the removal of bars n n,

the metal-feeding shaft E, inclined channel m, and converting-chamberB, as described, the rst to feed the'erude iron 'by gravity, the second to decrease its pressure, and the third to contain tlie convertinggases.

5. The arrangement of the air-heating case D', in the outer wall of the chamber i, for the purpose set forth.

6. The niethod,above described, of converting crude pig-iron into steel, by conveying, through separate channels, intensely-heated carbonio oxide, highly rarefed air, and superheated steam, into a common mix- 'ing-channel, from whence the combination of gases is transmitted to the converting-chamber. v

` l ALOIS THOMA. \Vitnesses:

FRANK BLocxLnY, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

' AThe furnace can also be used for oxidizing all sorts l desire to secure by Letters 4. 'The arrangement, withrespect to each other, of l 

